1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flat pipes and more particularly, to an arrangement for improving the mechanical strength of a flat pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat pipes are typically employed in heat exchanger technology. FIG. 8 illustrates one example of a flat pipe known in the art. As shown, the flat pipe has a continuous wall, opposite lateral ends of which are inwardly bent at the center of the pipe to provide opposite flanges. The flanges are welded together to form a longitudinally extending partition whereby the interior of the flat pipe is divided into two fluid passages. Typically, the flat pipe has a width of 3 to 4 cm, and a thickness of 2 to 5 mm. With such an arrangement, if the width of the flat pipe is increased, the resulting flat pipe is likely to become deformed under the influence of thermal stress during use. Such deformation has a detrimental effect on the heat transfer performance of the flat pipe. As such, the ratio of width to thickness in the prior art flat pipe is limited to between 1 and 20.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flat pipe which has improved resistance to compression and deformation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flat pipe wherein the ratio of width to thickness can be greater than 20.